


Surprise Superpowers: the Good, the Bad and the Awkward

by LBibliophile



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Bingo Fill, Extremis Tony Stark, Fire Powers, Superpowers, Technopathy, Tony Stark Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24816448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBibliophile/pseuds/LBibliophile
Summary: When Tony injected himself with a modified Extremis, it was supposed to keep him alive long enough for the arc reactor to be removed, then quietly fade away. It was not supposed to be this strong. It was not supposed to stick around. And it was not supposed to combine with Dr Cho's Cradle and the suit implants to create some really weird side-effects.Tony's not sure what to think about these new superpowers, so he decides to write it all out.Written for the Tony Stark Bingo 2020 - 3096 - R5: super soldier serum
Comments: 16
Kudos: 151
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	Surprise Superpowers: the Good, the Bad and the Awkward

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was based on my responses to [this Tumbr post](https://lbibliophile-mcu.tumblr.com/post/619509405241769985/broke-superheroesvillains-being-entirely) , and is inspired by various fics exploring the side-effects of having superpowers.
> 
> [Bingo fill details at end]

So. Extremis. AIM’s attempt at a supersoldier serum: super-strength, regeneration, fire breathing… and the unfortunate side effect of killing half the test subjects outright, and causing the other half to explode if they lose control. Killian – may he rest in eternal torment – injected it into Pepper. Me – being the genius I am – managed to deactivate it again. However, I also created a modified version.

It had become increasingly clear that the arc reactor was an unacceptable vulnerability. And with Dr Cho’s Cradle, I finally had a way to repair the damaged tissue… if only I could survive the surgery long enough for it to do so. So I created a weaker Extremis; strong enough to retain its regenerative properties, but weak enough not to overload.

We expected it to last just a few days – long enough to get me through the surgery and immediate recover period, then gradually fade out of my system – but we forgot to take into account the full effects of the Cradle. Six weeks down the track, Extremis is going just as strong… complete with side effects.

Iron Man entered the superhero arena on the strength of my technological skills; now I get to see what it looks like when you have biological enhancements. So here we go:

** A review of my Extremis surprise superpowers: the good, the bad and the awkward **

**Regeneration (aka. the ‘temporary’ effect that never left, and the best thing ever)**

I want to kick myself for not considering the Cradle might boost Extremis too, but given I’m feeling better than I have in – let’s be honest here - decades, I’m not even mad.

Pros _–_ Oh my god, how did I survive this long without super-healing! It should damn-well be a superhero prerequisite. The armour does a decent enough job, but it’s so nice to wake up the morning after being thrown through a few walls, and still be able to move.

Cons – Ok, so it’s not all sunshine and daisies. Everyone sitting around digging rubble and bits of metal out of themselves after a battle is bad; having to do so _after_ the scrapes are already healed over is worse. I really get what Steve was bitching about now.

Awkward – We decided that it was safer all round if my new powers were kept to a need-to-know basis, particularly since we don’t actually know if they’re here to stay. Unfortunately, that means making certain concessions to appearances. I’ve never liked being stuck wearing a cast, but having to wear one when the bone already healed _three weeks ago?_

**Pyromancy (aka. the side-effect I thought I’d gotten rid of – I never meant to be a literal hot mess!)**

The excess heat production was the major flaw of the original Extremis – although Killian seemed to find a use for it – but I thought I’d managed to fix it in this version. Apparently not so much.

Pros  _– No cold coffee ever!_

Cons – Turns out, the heat generation seems to be linked to adrenaline… I discovered this while 100 feet in the air and in the middle of a battle. By melting straight through my gauntlets. Let me just say, stabilising repulsor beams might work as weapons, but semi-controlled fireballs ( _don’t_ ask about the science, I don’t even know) don’t make for great flight stabilisers.

Awkward _–_ Y’know that _thing_ , where Pepper says something to get me all riled up just before leaving for a meeting, so then I have to go take a cold shower? Well that ‘cold’ shower now takes almost ten minutes to stop steaming…

**Superstrength (aka. all the cool kids have it)**

It seems like one of the core superpowers people get is some form of superstrength. Not that it’s not useful. I mean, again, mechanical armour.

Pros – Not gonna lie, there have been times where I have been tempted to wear the suit down in the workshop just so I don’t have to bother with using hoists and things. This is even better because I still have full dexterity.

Cons – The world is so _fragile_ now; how does Steve manage it? There have been days that I’m glad I’m a billionaire, given how much stuff I break. Also very glad I suddenly decided to play up the ‘eccentric’ and not shake hands for a few weeks – hugs are going to be out for a while longer yet…

Awkward _–_ You know how when you’re faced with a door, and can’t be bothered taking the few seconds to work out if it is push or pull or if it’s locked, so you just try and see if it opens? Doesn’t really work when the door now opens just as easily regardless of whether it’s supposed to. See the above point about the advantages of being able to quietly replace stuff.

**Technomancy (aka. what happens when you combine experimental tech...)**

Apparently, when you combine multiple pieces of ground-breaking technology, strange side-effects can happen. The combination of Extremis and Dr Cho’s cradle were bad enough, but add in my suit implants and suddenly my brain is being turned into an internet router.

Pros – If I could only keep one of my new powers, it would be this one, no question. Even over the healing. Because the first time I made it down to the workshop after the surgery, DUM-E spoke to me – _in words_.

Cons _–_ The thing about being a sentient wi-fi hotspot in the digital age is there’s just _so much information_. I’m pretty sure that if JARVIS hadn’t shown me how to create firewalls, I would have gone mad before even thinking to look for a Faraday cage.

Awkward _–_ That one time when I had a meeting at SHIELD, and Fury finished by complementing me on the demonstration of my new surveillance jammer. I didn’t exactly want to admit that I’d been doing it telepathically and subconsciously, so I pulled a pen out of my pocket and bullshitted something about a protype. But, get this, Fury just asked about ordering some once they hit the beta phase. So guess who now has to go invent pen-jammers like something out of a spy movie?!

**Author's Note:**

>  **TSB fill details**  
>  Title of Piece: Surprise Superpowers: the Good, the Bad and the Awkward  
> Card Number: 3096  
> Collaborator(s): LBibliophile  
> Square Filled: R5: super soldier serum  
> Ship/Main Pairing: na  
> Rating: Gen  
> Major Tags/Warnings: Extremis!Tony  
> Summary: When Tony injected himself with a modified Extremis, with was supposed to keep him alive long enough for the arc reactor to be removed, then quietly fade away. It was not supposed to be this strong. It was not supposed to stick around. And it was not supposed to combine with Dr Cho's Cradle and the suit implants to create some really weird side-effects. Tony's not sure what to think about these new superpowers, so he decides to write it all out.  
> Word Count: 1020


End file.
